The present invention relates to a laser module or an optical head. For example, the invention relates to a laser module or an optical head in which a semiconductor laser beam modulated by an electric signal is applied to an optical information recording medium such as an optical disc to record information on the medium or reproduce a recorded information from the medium. In particular, the invention is concerned with a laser module or an optical head each using a plurality of light sources.
In an optical head mounted on an optical disc recording and read-out apparatus, light sources and photodetectors are separated from each other. Consequently, it is impossible to attain a high fabrication integration density of light sources and photodetectors and hence it has so far impossible to attain the reduction in size and thickness of the entire optical disc apparatus. In an effort to solve this problem, a hybrid integration of photodetectors and semiconductor lasers in a reproducing head of an optical disc has been tried heretofore as is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 1-150244.